The industry rolls out its finest to commemorate the SHOT Show's Silver Anniversary!

Shooting Industry, April, 2003

The shooting sports industry converged in Orlando, Fla., in mid-February to exhibit thousands of firearms and related ducts, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the SHOT Show. There was something for everyone at the show: new products, ducts, miles of booths to explore, a country music concert and a chance to visit one of the most popular entertainment hotspots in the country.

This was first time the SHOT Show has been held in Orlando, and the city welcomed the industry. Exhibitors and attendees noted a positive attitude from those in hotels, restaurants and taxis, something that has not always been present at shows away from Las Vegas, Nev.

The 2003 event drew an attendance of 27,494. Of these, 15,559 were attendees, 10,735 were exhibitors, 1,020 were members of the press and 180 were guest of the show. The total number exceeds those of all other cities that have hosted the show except for Las Vegas.

While the total number attending the show did not set a record, the amount of exhibit floor space marked a new high. The Orange County Convention Center provided 1,500 companies with 512,000 square feet of exhibit space, an increase of 13,000 square feet over last year.

The number of dealers attending the show may have been down but that did not appear to affect business, nor dampen the enthusiasm of manufacturers.

"Wow, what a show!" said Dennis Reese, co-chairman of Springfield Armory. "We made our 25th consecutive appearance at the SHOT Show and we were so 'smoked-over' busy I couldn't believe it. Springfield gave out more literature at the Orlando show than we did last year in Las Vegas. We couldn't have been happier with the results of this year's SHOT Show."

Rich Bauter, Browning's vice president for firearms, also noted that companies did well at the show.

"Exhibitors that came to Orlando with promotions and programs to sell should be extremely satisfied," Bauter said. "This has been an excellent show for Browning."

In addition to the trade-show portion of the event, the industry celebrated the 25th anniversary of the SHOT Show with a spectacular reception, dinner and rafter-shaking concert by country music star Travis Tritt. Nearly 2,000 people attended the special event sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), owners of the SHOT Show.

"After 25 years, there is plenty of reason for celebration," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF. "The success of the show is a reflection of our industry, our unity and the support we have among consumers in our retailers' communities."

The NSSF honored companies that have been part of the SHOT Show since the first one in St. Louis, Mo., in 1979. Shooting Industry magazine is listed among the "Original 93" companies that have exhibit at all 25 shows. (See page 34.)

New Products, Programs

As always at the SHOT Show, new products and new programs were the main draw at manufacturers' booths, with many companies reporting impressive results.

"Booth traffic at Beretta was at an all-time high mainly due to new products, which resulted in more dealers signing up for our dealer program," said Cathy Williams, of Beretta. "One of our main goals was to significantly increase our dealer program which we accomplished."

Beretta's new Direct Dealer Program, announced in November 2002, gained a lot of attention at the show. Through the program, many Beretta shotguns and rifles are not available through authorized distributors.

A Beretta brochure for dealers reads, "This means that some of these popular products will come exclusively from Beretta USA to avoid competing with our wholesalers for your business. It also means that -- if you're not an authorized Beretta dealer -- you will not have access to them."

The Beretta Direct Dealer Program offers a number of benefits in addition to exclusive dealer-only products.

The new program and other dealer-direct arrangements did not go unnoticed at the show. In a published open letter to the industry, K.B.I. president Michael Kassnar made it clear that his products would be sold only through distributors.

"Wholesale distributors and their dealers are the glue that holds the shooting sports together," Kassnar said. "K.B.I. Inc. believes in the integrity of the wholesale distribution process and feels it's the most effective way we have of keeping cost down to our consumers, without going out of business."

Kassnar outlined why K.B.I. is committed to the distribution chain, concluding with, "K.B.I. Inc. and our Charles Daly and Liberty lines of firearms will only be sold through wholesale distributors for resale, and conservation groups for fundraising efforts."

European American Armory also addressed the distribution of firearms with it "No Marts" theme, posted at its booth, expressed in ads and headlining its 2003 catalog.

"We won't sell to the marts," said Keith Bernkrant, EAA president. "We're going to protect the profits of the dealer."

Higher Traffic

Sturm, Ruger & Co., the nation's largest firearm manufacturer, introduced a number of new products at the show, including a 50-year commemorative.